⸻ round 10 ☆ Sea Foam

In honour of Mermay, base your fanwork on a sea-related fact! Looking for something to get you started? Try these bite-sized 2min podcast episodes of Science and the Sea!

If you use neither twitter nor tumblr but do use an RSS feed reader, you can stay up to date with postings by adding https://shine-on-fest.tumblr.com/rss to your reader.
Looking to join more EXO fests? Please consider this exchange (all EXO pairings) run by us! And check out this Google Doc for a general overview, this Twitter list for EXO fest updates, plus this list for general K-Pop fests.

⸻ 2024 schedule

January: spark & shine
February-March: xiusoo4u (round 4)
April-May: round 10
June: round 11
August: round 12
October: spark & shine
November: round 13
Note: This schedule is tentative and will be adjusted according to festdom developments, group comeback dates, and participation. All mentioned rounds are flash rounds; spark & shine is a rather casual microfic challenge.

⸻ past rounds

— 01 X-EXO • AO3 collection + twitter thread • April 5-May 5, 2022
— 02 Potpourri • AO3 collection + twitter thread • May 22-June 16, 2022
— 03 Pillow Talk • AO3 collection + twitter thread • August 12-September 5, 2022
— 03.5 spark & shine • AO3 collection + twitter thread • October 2022
— 04 Shining Onwards • AO3 collection + twitter thread • July 1-December 26, 2022
— 04.5 spark & shine • AO3 collection + twitter thread • January 2023
— 05 Dreams • AO3 collection + twitter thread • February 12-March 8, 2023
— 06 Cottagecore • AO3 collection + twitter thread • April 16-May 15, 2023
— 07 Fairy tales • AO3 collection + twitter thread • May 21-June 14, 2023
— 08 EXO MVs • AO3 collection + twitter thread • July 23-August 16, 2023
— 08.5 Brand New microfic challenge • AO3 collection + twitter thread • September 2023
— 09 X-EXO • AO3 collection + twitter thread • August 18-December 8, 2023
— 09.5 spark & shine • AO3 collection + twitter thread • January 2024
Enjoy reading! ♡... and don't forget to leave comments, they're vital for rare pair writers! If you're unsure how to go about it, here's a small comment guide compilation:⟶ basic & easy comment guide
⟶ comment types, how to, etiquette
⟶ 101 comment starters
⟶ 25 things you can comment on a fic if you don’t know what to say
⟶ comment builder: templates for comments
⟶ how to deal with commenter's block
⟶ floating comment box for writing comments as you read (also available as an add-on via AO3 enhancement suite)

⸻ rules & faq

Round 10: Sea Foam! In honour of Mermay, base your fanwork on a sea-related fact. (This of course encompasses all creatures living or said to live in the sea.) All AUs/genres welcome.

1. All works must centre one of EXO's OT11 rare pairs, regardless of its nature or status. Platonic works welcome as long as the focus is on the rare pair! EXO x their respective Doppelgänger count as rare pairs.2. Any OT3/OT+ pairing is welcome as long as it does not contain a popular pairing. Example: xiukaisoo > contains kaisoo > not eligible. xiukaixing > eligible!3. Themed rounds: work must fit the theme. If unsure, please ask.4. Writers: No minimum word count, maximum word count: 2000 words. Writers submit their works to the round's AO3 collection and stay anonymous until reveals. Submitted works are required to be new, stand-alones, and completed; oneshots and chaptered fics are both allowed.5. Artists post their works on their own twitter account according to an agreed upon schedule. The fest will not repost artists' works at any given point.6. Two works at most per person. A second work may be created after the first work was submitted.7. Participants under the age of 18 must not submit nsfw or otherwise explicit content!8. Sensitive topics must be tagged or warned for in the notes, even if considered spoilers. Missing tags/warnings will be pointed out upon submission. If unsure how/what to tag, please talk to us and we will walk you through needed and suggested tags. List of content warnings for reference here.9. Fics are to be rated gen/teen/mature/explicit according to AO3 ratings.10. No works containing graphic rape/noncon, pedophilia, underage sex, incest, bestiality, cannibalism or Wu Yifan will be accepted. No Harry Potter AUs. (Dubcon: please use the dubious consent tag.)11. Plagiarism or art theft, including the submission of AI-generated text or pictures, may result in an instant, permanent ban. We ask participants to not use generative AI to any extent for their submissions.12. A twitter account is required for participation. All communication happens via DMs.13. Extensions (3 days) are granted automatically if you miss the deadline; we might DM to check in with you. Should we not hear from you within those three days, we will assume you dropped out. Further extensions are possible, please DM! Notify us should you have to drop out (no reason needed).
Couldn't participate in a round or had to drop out? We have a blanket policy of adding fic intended for the fest and adhering to fest rules to both the collection and the respective round's twitter thread—however far past the initial deadline. DM us for details once you're done!Accordingly, all unclaimed prompts are up for adoption. Simply claim a prompt on AO3, write/draw something based on it and notify us on twitter once you're done! Please note that all fest rules still apply.⟶ Prompt archive round 01: X-EXO
⟶ Prompt generator round 02: POTPOURRI
⟶ Prompt generator round 03: PILLOW TALK
⟶ Prompt archive round 04: SHINING ONWARDS
⟶ Prompt archive round 05: DREAMS
⟶ Prompt generator round 06: COTTAGECORE
⟶ Prompt archive round 07: FAIRY TALES
⟶ Prompt archive round 08: EXO MVs + YouTube playlist of 220+ MVs, teasers & VCRs
⟶ Prompt archive round 09: X-EXO

FAQQ: Can I post an extended version of my work later on?
A: Of course! As soon as a round is over, you can expand your fic however you want. Make sure to let us know so we can post about it!Q: Flash rounds: My word count is more than 2k, what now?
A: As long as it's still in the range of 2001 to 2099 words, we won't say anything! Everything exceeding that will have to be trimmed down.Q: Can I ask for an extension?
A: Yes, anytime! Just let us know by when you'll be able to submit your work. Several extensions are possible, too. Noon (UTC) of the last day of postings is the absolute final deadline.Q: What happens if I forget about the deadline? Or don't ask for an extension?
A: As long as you don't actively drop out, we'll assume you'll submit your work soon. Automatic extensions will kick in as soon as the deadline for submissions has passed. If we don't hear from you, we might DM you with the new deadline. If we still don't hear from you once the automatic extension passed, you will be marked as dropped out. (You will not be banned from future rounds, we understand that life gets in the way sometimes.)Q: I had to drop out or couldn't sign up but still want to submit a fic, can I? Will you post about it?
A: Yes and yes!! You can add your fic to the respective round's collection (no matter how long after the round is over). We'll make a fic graphic for you and add it to the respective round's thread. Please note that fest rules (word count limit aside) still apply!Q: Can I submit a work anonymously?
A: You can! Please let us know in the sign-up form (just include a note that you want to stay anonymous). Please be aware that a twitter account is needed to sign up, and mods will see your AO3 account so it is not 100% anonymous, but your participation will be confidential.Q: Do I have to submit a prompt to sign up? Do I have to claim a prompt or can I self-prompt?
A: You can self-prompt! The majority of our submissions are self-prompts. That's the standard mode, so you neither have to submit nor claim a prompt to participate. (It's just a neat option we're offering so readers can send in prompts too or writers can share surplus ideas.)Q: Can I submit prompts anonymously?
A: Prompts are semi-anonymous on AO3, however you need an AO3 account to submit prompts. Alternatively, please DM us your prompt and we will submit it for you.Q: How do I claim/drop a prompt on AO3?
A: One claim per prompt, so please do not claim prompts that are already claimed! To claim a prompt, click on the "Claim" button on the prompt you want, then sign up for the fest via the Google form. Claims without a sign-up and no way to contact you will be deleted after ~36 hours. You can drop a claim just as easily by navigating to "Claims" on your AO3 dashboard (on the bottom left) and pressing "Drop prompt"; you can now claim a different prompt or write your own idea. Note that dropping a prompt on here does not equal dropping out of the fest! To do so, please DM on twitter.Q: Why is the use of generative AI banned in this fest?
A: In their current form, generative AI tools (like ChatGPT, Sudowrite, Quillbot) are tools of corporate interest, exploiting the existing work of creatives, and threatening creatives' livelihood while drowning us in generic, bland text and images. Their use is also antithetical to the idea of fanworks: Where is the fan when a machine uses predictive text to string words together? If you can write prompts, you can also write fanfic, or draw fanart. These tools, by offering a shortcut, also stand in the way of developing one's own ideas, voice, and craft. The point of fanworks is not perfection, it's connection. Any service generative AI offers a fellow fan can do better: with regard for your creative integrity, and with the joy found in connecting over a shared interest. Should you need support or guidance during any part of the creation process, please reach out to us—if we're not personally able to support you, we're happy to find someone who can.Q: Can a mod beta my fic?
A: It depends on our personal capacities, your fic's theme, how early/late you're submitting your fic, and what you're looking for in a beta—please DM so we can figure the details out.

⸻ about

Combining our love for rare pairs and flash fic since April 2022, Shine On is the sibling project to xiusoo4u, and more recently the starprints exchange. "Shine on" is a reference to EXO's Diamond, and a cheer for fellow lovers of the group's rare gems!

The fest is currently run by...Jon (he/him; listography)
⟶ favourite rare pairs: chenkai, kyungmyeon, suchen, xiuho, xiusoo, xiusooho

Former modsSun (minion, she/they)
⟶ Shine On R02: social media, concepts
⟶ favourite rare pairs: xiubaek, sesoo, kaibaek, xiusoo

Info for fellow fests: Unless you're a dedicated rare pair fest we won't follow back anymore. We like to keep our timeline tidy and follow fest happenings via a pinned list instead!

⸻ rare pairs

Pairing statistics from March 2024. We define "rare" as less than 300 fics in their respective AO3 tag after applying the following filters: otp:true (main pairing) as well as english language fics only. Detailed list here.


All 40 eligible OT2 pairings by member/ageMinseok
xiuho, xiulay, xiubaek, xiuyeol, xiusoo, xiutao, xiukai, xiuhunLu Han
suhan, layhan, lubaek, luchen, luyeol, hansoo, lutao, lukaiJunmyeon
xiuho, suhan, subaek, suchen, suyeol, kyungmyeon, sutao, sukaiYixing
all pairings—with the exception of sulayBaekhyun
xiubaek, lubaek, subaek, baekxing, taobaek, kaibaekJongdae
suchen, luchen, xingdae, chensoo, chentao, chenkai, sechenChanyeol
xiuyeol, luyeol, suyeol, chanxing, chantaoKyungsoo
xiusoo, hansoo, kyungmyeon, xingsoo, sesoo, taosooZitao
all pairingsJongin
xiukai, lukai, sukai, kaixing, kaibaek, chenkai, taokaiSehun
xiuhun, sexing, sechen, sesoo, setao


EXO x their respective doppelgänger also count as rare pairs!


All eligible OT3 (out of OT9) pairings by member/age- Minseok/Junmyeon/Baekhyun | xiubaekho
- Minseok/Junmyeon/Chanyeol | xiusuyeol
- Minseok/Junmyeon/Kyungsoo | xiusooho
- Minseok/Junmyeon/Jongin | xiusukai
- Minseok/Yixing/Baekhyun | xiubaekxing
- Minseok/Yixing/Chanyeol | xiuchanxing
- Minseok/Yixing/Kyungsoo | minxingsoo
- Minseok/Yixing/Jongin | xiukaixing
- Minseok/Yixing/Sehun | xiulayhun
- Minseok/Baekhyun/Jongin | xiukaibaek
- Minseok/Kyungsoo/Sehun | xiusoohun- Junmyeon/Baekhyun/Jongin | sukaibaek
- Junmyeon/Jongdae/Kyungsoo | suchensoo
- Junmyeon/Jongdae/Jongin | suchenkai- Yixing/Baekhyun/Jongin | xingkaibaek
- Yixing/Jongdae/Kyungsoo | chenxingsoo
- Yixing/Jongdae/Jongin | chenkaixing
- Yixing/Jongdae/Sehun | sexingdae
- Yixing/Kyungsoo/Sehun | sexingsoo
- Jongdae/Kyungsoo/Sehun | sechensoo


Any OT+ pairing is welcome as long as it does not contain a non-rare pairing. With OT11 the options become endless so they weren't added to this list. Please ask if in doubt!OT4 example:
xiukaisooho > contains kaisoo ❌
xiukaibaekho ✔️

⸻ confirmation

Thank you for signing up! Here's the process for round 10, Sea Foam:Submissions due: May 7 (UTC-12)
Extensions/dropping out: Automatic extensions are in place until May 10. Should you need longer than that, please DM and let us know by when you can finish your fic! Or if you have to drop out, no questions asked. Keep in mind if you don't drop out before May 9, your username will be listed among the participants.

WRITERS

How to find your fic after submitting it: Before your work is accepted into the collection, your fic will not show up in the regular works overview! You can either access it by bookmarking the work link after submitting it—or find it by navigating to "Collections", then "Manage Collection Items" and "Awaiting Collection Approval".As soon as your work has been approved, and until it is revealed, you can find it under "My Works", then navigate to "Works in Collections".

P.S.: After reveals, you will receive a version of your fic graphic with your handle on it to use as you please (no credit/tagging necessary).


ARTISTS